Faris and Yamna Naff Arab American Collection

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Finding aid

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Object Details

Summary

Collection documents the early Arab immigrant experience and assimilation in the United States dating from circa 1880 through World War II. It is the direct result of research conducted by Dr. Alixa Naff beginning in 1962 with oral history interviews. Her study developed into a major project in 1980 with funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and a book Becoming American: The Early Arab Immigrant Experience published in 1985.

Scope and Contents

Collection documents the immigration and assimilation of mostly Christian Syrian-Lebanese who came to America at the turn of the twentieth century. The immigrants were predominately-small land-owning peasants and artisans from the village of Syria and Lebanon. According to Alixa Naff, immigrants knew exactly where they were going to live and what they were going to do once they immigrated to America. They mostly chose to live in cities where earlier immigrants had already created communities. The majority of the immigrants became peddlers. Peddlers carried packs containing scissors, razors, pins, buttons, ribbons, threads, needles, combs, mirrors, soap, voile and muslin, lace and crotchet crafts, perfume, scarves, picture frames, oriental rugs, fine linens, leather goods, pictures of saints, religious notions from the holy land, confections and cakes. Peddling offered the immigrants a source of income and a way to learn the English language, American customs and lifestyles. It often led to ownership of a small dry goods store. More successful businesspersons then went on to own a department store or a chain of stores. For those Syrian/Lebanese who chose not to pursue peddling as a source of income other occupations included farming, work in New England textile mills, Midwestern factories, Pittsburgh and Birmingham steel mills and Detroit's automobile assembly lines. It was in these Syrian communities created by Arab immigrants that Dr. Naff sought interviews, photographs and personal papers. For Alixa Naff this pioneering generation of people offered a wealth of information on the immigrant experience and the critical role that peddling played. Naff conducted interviews in urban and small town communities with an emphasis on Midwestern states. Her informants included first and second generation Christians, Druze and Muslims. Locations of interviews included Detroit, Michigan because it was an industrial city with a large and stable Syrian population of all faiths. Cedar Rapids, Iowa was smaller, a railroad depot at the turn of the century and home to the earliest Muslim groups. Peoria, Illinois was also a small, railroad depot at the turn of the century and it consisted predominately of the Maronite Sect originally from one village in Mount Lebanon. Spring Valley, Illinois was a small mining town with a Christian community and the remnant of a once flourishing peddling settlement. Their Eastern Rite Syrian Orthodox Church was the only one in Illinois until 1961 and served smaller Syrian groups. Oral history interviews deal with the sociological factors of the assimilation process. Most tapes have been fully transcribed or abstracted. Information from the interviews are supported with published articles; demographic statistics; articles from the Arab-American press, books, journals and dissertations published in the United States or in Arab countries. Personal papers collected from individuals and families provide evidence of the experiences discussed in the interviews and add a personal touch to the reference materials. While there are a number of original items included among the personal papers, there is a substantial amount of duplicate materials. Naff would often collect the originals make copies and then return the originals to the donors.

sova.nmah.ac.0078

GUID

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep8a88907b6-52b1-4275-beca-efb48f9cff4a

Creator

Naff, Alixa, 1919-2013

Names

American Arab Anti-discrimination Committee

Arab American Institute

Former owner

Archdioceses of Antiochan Orthodox, Melkites, and Maronites

Names

National Association of Arab Americans

Former owner

Southern Federation of Lebanese Clubs

Spring Valley (Ill.) Syrian Orthodox Church

Names

Syrian Protestant Church

Naff, Faris

Naff, Yamna

Place

Brooklyn (New York, N.Y.)

Cedar Rapids (Iowa)

Dearborn (Mich.)

Detroit (Mich.)

Fort Wayne (Ind.)

Los Angeles (Calif.)

Spring Valley (Ill.)

Occupation

Actors

Topic

Associations, institutions -- voluntarism

Automobile industry workers

Businessmen -- Arab Americans

Emigration and immigration

Emigration and immigration -- Arab Americans

Ethnic groups -- cultural history

Naturalization -- Arab Americans -- United States

Peddlers

Press -- Arabic language

Transcripts

voluntarism -- associations, institutions, etc

Cookbooks

Celebrities -- 20th century

Creator

Naff, Alixa, 1919-2013

Culture

Arab Americans

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Faris and Yamna Naff Arab American Collection

Biographical / Historical

The Faris and Yamna Naff Collection is the result of the dedication, research efforts, and hard work of Dr. Alixa Naff, the daughter of Syrian-Lebanese immigrants. She spent most of her life documenting the early American experience of the generation of Arabs, mostly Christian, from Syria/Lebanon who came to this country around the turn of the century. After an administrative career in private industry, Naff enrolled at the University of California to obtain her B.A. degree. During her senior year, she was required to write a paper for an American history seminar. The topic for the seminar was immigration. Naff chose Arabs in America as her subject. According to Naff, there was a lack of reference materials relating to her topic therefore she relied heavily on conversations with her parents' friends. Impressed by her work, Naff's professor offered her a grant to collect Arab folklore. Naff conducted her research during the summer of 1962. She interviewed eighty-seven people in sixteen communities across the United States and eastern Canada. All of her informants were at least sixty years old at the time of the interviews and represented the last surviving members of her parents' pioneer immigrant generation. After completing her fieldwork, Naff went on to earn her M.A. and Ph.D. degrees before teaching on the college level at California State University and the University of Colorado. In 1977, she left teaching citing anti-Arab feelings as the reason for her shift in career paths. Her desire to counter the anti-Arab stereotyping with accurate sources of information created yet another opportunity for her to pursue more research about Arab Americans. In 1977 Naff served as a consultant on a documentary film relating to Arabs in America. Still little existed on the subject of the Arab immigrant experience in America. Moreover, much of what she found conflicted with what pioneer informants had told her. Naff was also painfully aware that family members of decreased Arab immigrants often discarded the early artifacts, personal papers, photographs and books brought to America. Shortly after, she began working on a study on the history of Arab immigrants. In 1979, Naff met Gino Baroni, then undersecretary of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development and founder of the National Center for Urban Ethnic Affairs. His center helped her to secure funding for her research from the National Endowment for the Humanities and provided an office for her to work. The result of this work was a book entitled Becoming American: The Early Arab Immigrant Experience published in 1985. Richard Ahlborn, then curator of the Smithsonian's Community Life Division (now its Department of Cultural Affairs), convinced Naff to donate the collection to the Smithsonian in honor of her parents, Faris and Yamna Naff, and their generation of Arabs who immigrated to America. Alixa Naff died on June 1, 2013 at the age of ninety-three.

Extent

120 Cubic feet (295 boxes, 2000 photographs, 450 audio cassette tapes, 38 video cassette tapes, audio discs, and microfilm)

Date

1862-2004, undated

Custodial History

Collection transferred to the Archives Center from the Division of Community Life (now the Division of Cultural and Community Life), December 21, 1983.

Archival Repository

Archives Center, National Museum of American History

Identifier

NMAH.AC.0078

Type

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Citation

Faris and Yamna Naff Arab-American Collection Archives Center, National Museum of American History

Arrangement

Collection is arranged in the eight series created by Dr. Alixa Naff. Series 1, Personal Papers, 1891-2002, undated Subseries 1.1: Individuals and Families, 1891-2001, undated Subseries 1.2: Organizations, 1908-2002 Magazines and Newsletters, 1905-1995 Series 2, Photographic Materials, 1890-1996, undated Subseries 2.1: Individuals, 1890-1989, undated Subseries 2.2: Families 1892-1987, undated Subseries 2.3: Organizations, 1875-1996, undated Series 3, Oral interviews, Abstracts, Transcripts and Supporting Materials, 1962-1995, undated Subseries 3.1: Abstracts and Transcripts, 1962-1995, undated Subseries 3.2: Abstracts by Topic, 1962-1980 Subseries 3.3: Other Projects, undated Series 4, Publications and Unpublished Manuscripts, 1862-2000, undated Subseries 4.1: Almanacs, 1930-1992 Subseries 4.2: Biographies, 1946-1993, undated Subseries 4.3: Community Studies, 1970-2000 Subseries 4.4: Cookbooks, 1947-1994, undated Subseries 4.5: Directories, 1908-1996, undated Subseries 4.6: Fiction, 1942-1995 Subseries 4.7: Handbooks and Guides, 1921-1994 Subseries 4.8: History, 1862-1997 Subseries 4.9: Journals, 1905-2000, undated Subseries 4.10: Newspapers, 1900-2000 Subseries 4.11: Poetry, 1975-1987, undated Subseries 4.12: Religion, 1922-1996, undated Subseries 4.13: Theses and Dissertations, 1908-1996 Series 5, Subject Files, 1888-2000 Series 6, Project Files, 1894-1996, undated Subseries 6.1: Correspondence, 1977-1995 Subseries 6.2: Research Materials, 1894-1992, undated Subseries 6.3: Public Relations 1979-1996 Subseries 6.4: Other Projects Relating to Immigration, 1984-1995 Series 7, Alixa Naff Personal Papers, 1943-1996, undated Series 8, Audio Visual Materials, 1908-1995, undated Subseries 8.1: Interviews, 1962 Subseries 8.2: Community Project Interviews, 1978-1987 Subseries 8.2.1: Goldsboro, North Carolina Interviews, 1985 Subseries 8.2.2: Vicksburg, Mississippi Interviews, 1979-1980 Subseries 8.2.3: St. Louis, Missouri Interviews, 1978-1979 Subseries 8.2.4: Lawrence, Massachusetts Interviews, 1979-1987 Subseries 8.2.5: Metropolitan Detroit, Michigan Interviews, 1983 and 1994 Subseries 8.3: Interviews, 1980 Subseries 8.4: Post-1980 Interviews, 1981-1995 Subseries 8.4.1: Maryland, Virginia and Washington, DC Interviews, 1981-1995 Subseries 8.4.2: Brooklyn and Manhattan, New York Interviews, 1985, 1986, 1988, 1990, 1992 Subseries 8.4.3: Fort Wayne, Indiana Interviews, 1983 and 1994 Subseries 8.4.4: Portland Oregon and Seattle, Washington, 1994 Subseries 8.4.5: Others, 1980-1994 Subseries 8.5: Videocassettes, 1939-1994 Subseries 8.6: Microfilm, 1908-1950 Subseries 8.7: Audio Recordings, undated

Processing Information

Collection processed by Alixa Naff, volunteer, 1996; Cathy Keen, archivist; Saida Erradi, volunteer, 1996; Wendy Shay, archivist; Alison Oswald, archivist; Franklin Robinson Jr., archivist; Adrienne Cain, intern; Tiffany Draut, intern; Emily Hamstra, intern; Nathan Tomlanovich, intern; Megan Esseltine, intern; William R. Cron, Jr., intern; Kiley Autumn Orchard, intern, 2008; Anne Jones, volunteer; Elisabeth Warsinske, intern; Micheline Lovink Soughayar, intern; Dory Tamios Abi-Najm, intern, 2014; and by Vanessa Broussard-Simmons, archivist, 2014.

Rights

Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.

Existence and Location of Copies

Digital preservation .bwav files for Subseries 8.1: 1962 Interviews were created by George Blood Audio LP, 2014 October. Digital access MP3 files created by George Blood Audio LP, 2014 October. Copies are also available at the Arab American National Museum. This online collection consists of 75 digital audio files and 30 PDF files of interview notes. To preserve the original order of the collection, the audio files are direct copies of the original reel-to-reel tapes. Many files contain more than one interview, and some interviews are spread across multiple tapes. Some, but not all, interviews have accompanying notes, which should not be considered direct transcripts. To aid researchers, metadata accompanying each file will include a description of the original tape contents, and will be tagged with each interviewee's name. These tags can be used to find other files with the same interviewee. As the interviews focused on first and second generation immigrants, both English and Arabic are spoken. Many interviews are entirely in Arabic. Languages spoken will be noted for each interview in the accompanying metadata. Access copies of all digitized audio are available at both the Arab American National Museum and the Archives Center at the National Museum of American History.

Genre/Form

Restrictions

Collection is open for research. Researchers must use microfilm copies. Researchers must handle unprotected photographs with gloves. Researchers must use reference copies of audio-visual materials. When no reference copy exists, the Archives Center staff will produce reference copies on an "as needed" basis, as resources allow. Viewing film portions of collection require special appointment; please inquire with a reference archivist. Do not use when original materials are available on reference video or audio tapes.

Related Materials

Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution Warshaw Collection of Business Americana Subject Categories: Languages, NMAH.AC.0060.S01.01.Languages Warshaw Collection of Business Americana Subject Categories: Tobacco Trade and Industry, NMAH.AC.0060.S01.01.Tobacco George W. Sims Papers, 1896-1981, NMAH.AC.0127 Underwood &Underwood Glass Stereograph Collection, NMAH.AC.0143 Irving Berlin Collection, 1905-1987, NMAH.AC.0257 Melvin Kranzberg Papers, 1934-1988, NMAH.AC.0266 Julian Hinds Collection, NMAH.AC.0287 Hills Bros. Coffee Company, Incorporated Records, 1856-1989, undated, NMAH.AC.0395 Princeton University Posters Collection, NMAH.AC.0433 Frederick and Mary Hill Fried Folk Art Archives, circa 1662-1999, NMAH.AC.0528 Mergenthaler Linotype Company Records, 1886-1997, NMAH.AC.0666 American Petroleum Institute Photograph and Film Collection, 1860s-1990 (bulk 1955-1990), NMAH.AC.0711 Sterling Drug, Incorporated, Records, NMAH.AC.0772 Charles Richardson Pratt Papers, 1860-1935, NMAH.AC.0958 Division of Community Life World's Fairs Collection, 1876-1993, NMAH.AC.1132 Marilyn E. Jackler Memorial Collection of Tobacco Advertisements circa 1890-2013, undated, NMAH.AC.1224 Anacostia Community Museum Archives, Smithsonian Institution Lorenzo Dow Turner Papers, 1895-1972, ACMA.06-017 Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution Kahlil Gibran Papers, AAA.gibrkahl Anna Richards Brewster Papers, 1887-1961, AAA.brewanna Lawrence and Barbara Fleischman Papers, AAA.fleilawr Jacques Seligmann & Company Records, 1904-1978, bulk 1913-1974, AAA.jacqself Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution Stephen Grant Postcards, EEPA 2001-001 Emile Gorlia Photographs, EEPA.1977-001 Eliot Elisofon Field Collection, EEPA.1973-001 Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives, Smithsonian Institution Myron Bement Smith Collection, FSA A.04 National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution Alixa Naff Photographs of Europe, the Middle East and the Mediterranean and audio tapes on Mediterranean folklore, Photo Lot 2011-02 William C. Sturtevant Papers, NAA.2008-24 John Peabody Harrington Papers, 1907-1959, NAA.1976-95 Division of Ethnology Photograph Collection, NAA.PhotoLot.97 National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution Brandon B. Fortune Research Material on the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition, 1977-1993, bulk 1987-1991, NPG.CAP.00004 Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections, Smithsonian Institution Smithsonian Folklife Festival Records: 1987 Festival of American Folklife, CFCH.SFF.1987 Smithsonian Folklife Festival Records: 1990 Festival of American Folklife, CFCH.SFF.1990 Smithsonian Institution Archives Farouk El-Baz Papers, SIA.FA17-262 National Museum of American History, Division of Cultural History, Exhibition Records, SIA.FA13-007 National Museum of American History, Division of Cultural History, Curatorial Records, SIA.FA02-057 National Museum of American History, Department of Social and Cultural History, Chairman's Records, SIA.FA06-137 National Museum of American History, Archives Center, Chair Records, SIA.FA12-193 National Museum of American History, Office of the Director, Subject Files, SIA.FA03-091 National Museum of American History. Department of Public Programs, Records, SIA.FARU0584 National Museum of American History. National Numismatic Collection, Records, SIA.FARU0359

Separated Materials

The Division of Cultural and Community Life, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution holds the artifacts that were collected with the Naff Collection archival materials. Below is a partial list of what the division houses as part of its collections. Altar chalice cover, catalog number 1984.0218.54 Arghili (water pipe) catalog number 1984.0218.65 Arghili (water pipe) catalog number 1984.0218.43 Ashtray, catalog number 1984.0218.45A Ashtray, catalog number 1984.0218.45B Astragal, catalog number 1984.0218.14A Astragal, catalog number 1984.0218.14B Astragal, catalog number 1984.0218.14C Astragal, catalog number 1984.0218.14D Bead, catalog number 1984.0218.64 Beads, catalog number 1984.0218.07 Beads, catalog number 1984.0218.39 Border, catalog number 1984.0218.34 Bowl, catalog number 1984.0218.47 Bowl, catalog number 1984.0218.46 Bracelet, catalog number 1984.0218.29 Bracelet, catalog number 1984.1137.060 Brush, catalog number 1984.0218.37 Burner, catalog number 1984.0218.25 Butter mold, catalog number 1984.0218.19 Button, catalog number 1984.1137.06AF Coffee cup, catalog number 1984.0218.10A Coffee cup, catalog number 1984.0218.10B Coffee cup, catalog number 1984.0218.10C Coffee cup, catalog number 1984.0218.10D Coffee cup, catalog number 1984.0218.10E Coffee cup, catalog number 1984.0218.10F Coffee cup, catalog number 1984.0218.10G Coffee cup, catalog number 1984.0218.10H Coffee cup, catalog number 1984.0218.10I Coffee maker, catalog number 1984.0218.42 Coffee maker, catlog number 1984.0218.12 Coffee mill, catalog number 1984.0218.08 Cloak, catalog number 1984.0218.30 Cloth, catalog number 1984.0218.02 Cloth, catalog number 1984.0218.55 Cloth, catalog number 1984.0218.56 Cloth, catalog number 1984.0218.06 Cloth, catalog number 1984.0218.03 Cloth, catalog number 1984.0218.05 Compact, catalog number 1984.1137.06B Cross, catalog number 1984.1137.06AG Cufflinks, catalog number 1984.1137.06AE Cups and sauces, catalog number 1984.0218.44 Curing bowl, catalog number 1984.0218.48 Doily, catalog number 1984.0218.35 Doily, catalog number 1984.0218.57 Earrings, catalog number 1984.1137.06X Earrings, catalog number 1984.1137.06W Earrings, catalog number 1984.1137.06V Fragment, catalog number 1984.0218.61 Fragment, catalog number 1984.0218.62 Fragment, catalog number 1984.0218.63 Head cover, catalog number 1984.0218.38 Kohl container, catalog number 1984.0218.50 Locket, catalog number 1984.1137.06U Mantilla, catalog number 1984.0218.28 Middle East groceries neon sign, catalog number 1987.0887.07 Motar and pestle, catalog number 1984.1137.02 Pendant, catalog number 1984.1137.06S Pendant, catalog number 1984.1137.06R Pestle, catalog number 1984.1137.01 Photograph on metal disk, catalog number 1984.1137.04 Pillowcase, catalog number 1984.0218.32 Pillowcase, catalog number 1984.1137.05 Pin, catalog number 1984.1137.06E Pin, catalog number 1984.0218.60 Pin, catalog number 1984.1137.06L Pin, catalog number 1984.1137.06J Pin, catalog number 1984.1137.06M Pin, catalog number 1984.1137.06H Pin, catalog number 1984.1137.06F Pin, catalog number 1984.1137.06G Pin, catalog number 1984.1137.06N Plaque, catalog number 1984.0218.17 Pouch, catalog number 1984.1137.07 Purse, catlog number 1984.0218.27 Ring, catalog number 1984.0218.53 Scarab, catalog number 1984.1137.06I Scraf, catalog number 1984.0218.21 Scraf, catalog number 1984.0218.20 Serving tray, catalog number 1984.0218.11 Shawl fragment, catalog number 1984.0218.04 Shell, catalog number 1984.1137.06Y Shell, catalog number 1984.1137.06AC Shell, catalog number 1984.1137.06AA Shell, catalog number 1984.1137.06AB Shell, catalog number 1984.1137.06AC Shell, catalog number 1984.1137.06AD Stone, catalog number 1984.0218.23 Tablecloth, catalog number 1984.0218.31 Table cover, catalog number 1984.0218.36 Talisman, catalog number 1984.0218.15 Tongs, catalog number 1984.0218.66 Turkish coin, catalog number 1984.0218.01A Turkish coin, catalog number 1984.0218.01B Turkish coin, catalog number 1984.0218.01C

NMAH.AC.0078

Large EAD

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep8a88907b6-52b1-4275-beca-efb48f9cff4a

NMAH.AC.0078

ACAH

Record ID

ebl-1562728822564-1562728822651-0

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